West gets COVID, likely headed for stay in hospital

Allen West, Texas’ former GOP chairman who is running for governor, said Saturday he has received monoclonal antibody injections after being diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia. West is not vaccinated against the disease.

West said Saturday in a series of tweets that doctors were concerned about his oxygen saturation levels and that he would like be admitted to a hospital.

“My chest X-rays do show COVID pneumonia, not serious,” he wrote. “I am probably going to be admitted to the hospital.”

The news came just hours after West’s campaign had tweeted that his wife, Angela, had tested positive on Friday for COVID. West said his wife had been vaccinated against the virus and received the influenza vaccine.

West, who announced in July that he would challenge Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, formerly led the state’s Republican Party. Prior to that he served as a Florida congressman.

The tweets from his campaign said West “already” taking hydroxychloroquine — an antimalaria medication — and ivermectin, an anti-parasite medication that has gained favor among antivaxxers for treatment against COVID-19 infection.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned that both drugs are potentially dangerous for people who use them after contracting COVID-19.